Common sense is good, but not always right
Editorial

Atip of the hat is owing to Councillor Allan Thompson for standing up for common sense.

He brought the issue up himself at last Tuesday's Town council meeting, as he and his colleagues were dealing with a request from the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) to call on the province to ban smoking in cars carrying children.

Common sense has rightly told Thompson that parents who really love and care about their children are not going to expose them to a hazardous substance, such as second-hand smoke. We agree, especially since there is more evidence these days that it's dangerous than was the case 20 or 30 years ago.

But there's a big problem with common sense, and it's a problem that Thompson ran into at the council table. Common sense is only effective when everyone else is using theirs. And the sad reality is there are a lot of people out there who don't.

Many people smoke in cars with children; enough to prompt OMA to send out letters appealing for support; enough to prompt Sault Ste. Marie MPP David Orazietti put forth a private members' bill at Queen's Park last month, calling for such a ban.

Common sense should be telling these people not to do it, but they do it anyway. Unfortunately, Thompson's sound appeal to common sense falls on deaf ears, when it comes to people like this.

Too many people have the tendency to do extraordinarily dumb things. Councillor Richard Whitehead cited a couple of examples, such as people who don't wear seatbelts, or who talk on cell phones when driving. There are lots of others, such as people who drive while impaired. In fact, council devoted a substantial amount of time at last week's meeting addressing ways to combat some of the stupid things people do on the roads, such speeding through Caledon East, or driving inappropriately around trucks.

If everyone used their common sense, the way they should, there wouldn't be as much need for medical practioners, police officers firemen or paramedics. Municipal councils probably wouldn't have as much to do either. A lot of people in essential services are essential because other people are stupid.

Thompson made one other suggestion, which had some merit because it again involves common sense. He said the best way to deal with this issue is to have a ban on cigarettes. That makes a lot of sense to us, and many advocates for the rights of non-smokers would probably cheer.

And as has been pointed out many times, cigarettes are about the one product on the market that can do you harm if used as directed.

But the problem is we're not likely to see a ban like that happen.

Maybe it makes too much sense?